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| Gender: |
Female |
| Age: |
58 |
| Location: |
United States, California, Richmond |
| Connection: |
| No connection |
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| My short bio: |
Barbara Becnel is Executive Director of a non-profit social services agency in Richmond, CA.
For 13 years she worked with Stanley Tookie Williams, death row prisoner and Nobel Peace Prize nominee, to edit and publish his award-winning series of books for at-risk children. She was Stan's advocate and friend, and organized an international campaign for clemency until he was killed by the State of California on December 13, 2005.
Barbara's background includes working as a public policy expert in Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles. She has written more than 100 newspaper and magazine articles as well as eleven books about parenting, overcoming drug addiction, and youth violence prevention.
She co-produced the award-winning TV film "Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story," based on her partnership with Stanley Tookie Williams. Academy Award-winning Jamie Foxx starred as Mr. Williams; Emmy Award-winning Lynn Whitfield portrayed Barbara. The movie was honored at the Sundance Film Festival and Cannes Film Festival in France.
In addition, Barbara has earned high honors for her public service, including Women's History Celebration Award 2006 for Social Consciousness from Contra Costa College and the American Association of University Women; an award for Outstanding Leadership and Community Service issued by Black Women Organized for Political Action; Woman of the Year 2001 honor issued by the California State Legislature
Barbara received a Bachelor of Arts degree in two and one-half years, with highest honors, in Economics from Adelphi University; attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in a doctoral program in Quantitative and Labor Economics, and did post-graduate work at the University of Chicago as a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellow.
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| Causes I support: |
Ending the death penalty, reforming the criminal justice system in the U.S., ending youth violence |
| Favorite books or movies: |
"Blue Rage, Black Redemption: A Memoir" by Stanley Tookie Williams, "A Book of Common Prayer" by Joan Didion, "Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story," a television movie, "Angola," a documentary |
| My heroes or role models: |
Stanley Tookie Williams, many of the Nobel Laureates, members of the Los Angeles Cease Fire Committee, which is composed of reformed Crip gang leaders who are now striving to keep the peace on the streets of Los Angeles, the dedicated abolitionists I serve with on the national board of Campaign to End the Death Penalty |
| Occupation: |
Executive Director and Activist |
| Employer: |
Neighborhood House of North Richmond and STW (Stanley Tookie Williams) Legacy Network |
| Employer/Professional Website: |
www.nhnr.org |
| My News and Blogs page, Websites, or Webpages: |
www.STWLegacy.net |
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| The STW Legacy Network is a global effort to advance the final requests of executed death row prisoner Stanley Tookie Williams, who was also a children's book author, anti-gang activist and Nobel Peace Prize nominee. His final requests have the potential to create peace in impoverished neighborhoods and townships throughout the world. |
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